Detecting thermal interface material (‘TIM’) between a heat sink and an integrated circuit

Abstract

Detecting TIM between a heat sink and an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including TIM detection points adapted to receive TIM upon installation of the heat sink and including a TIM detection device configured to be activated upon contact with TIM, including: receiving, upon installation of the heat sink on the integrated circuit and the TIM, TIM in one or more of the TIM detection points; activating, by the TIM in each of the one or more TIM detection points receiving the TIM, a TIM detection device; determining, by a TIM detection module of the integrated circuit in dependence upon the activations of the TIM detection devices, sufficiency of the TIM; and responsive to determining that the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit is insufficient, controlling, in real-time by the TIM detection module, operation of the integrated circuit to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of detecting thermal interface material (TIM) between a heat sink and an integrated circuit that comprises a plurality of TIM detection points, the method comprising:
 receiving, upon installation of the heat sink on the integrated circuit and the TIM in one or more of the TIM detection points, wherein each of the one or more TIM detection points includes a TIM detection device; 
 activating, in each of the one or more TIM detection points receiving the TIM, a TIM detection device; 
 determining, in dependence upon the activations of the TIM detection devices, sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit; and 
 responsive to determining that the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit is insufficient, controlling, in real-time, operation of the integrated circuit to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises determining whether the number of activated TIM detection devices exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises determining whether the positions of the activated TIM detection devices indicate a sufficient coverage area of the TIM. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a computer processor, the computer processor including a number of functional units, a number of cache memory devices, a number of registers, and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises dispatching instructions among functional units, utilizing cache memory devices, and utilizing registers so as to avoid components of the computer processor having physical locations with insufficient TIM. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a multi-core computer processor and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises distributing execution of computer program instructions among the cores of the computer processor so as to avoid cores having a physical location with insufficient TIM. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a computer processor and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises throttling the computer processor. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 a casing of the integrated circuit is electrically coupled to a ground voltage; 
 the TIM is electrically conductive and is electrically coupled to the integrated circuit casing; 
 each TIM detection device comprises an electrical probe, the electrical probe having a source voltage prior to electrically coupling to the TIM; and 
 activating the TIM detection device further comprises electrically coupling the electrical probe to the integrated circuit casing and the ground voltage, altering the voltage level at the electrical probe from the source voltage to the ground voltage; and 
 determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises detecting, for each TIM detection point receiving the TIM, the alteration of the voltage level of each electrical probe. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 each TIM detection device comprises a mechanical switch, the mechanical switch closed prior to receiving TIM; and 
 activating the TIM detection device further comprises physically opening the mechanical switch; and 
 determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises detecting the opening of each mechanical switch activated upon receiving the TIM in the TIM detection point. 
 
     
     
       9. An apparatus for detecting thermal interface material (TIM) between a heat sink and an integrated circuit that comprises plurality of TIM detection points, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
 receiving, upon installation of the heat sink on the integrated circuit and the TIM in one or more of the TIM detection points, wherein each of the one or more TIM detection points includes a TIM detection device; 
 activating, in each of the one or more TIM detection points receiving the TIM, a TIM detection device; and 
 determining, in dependence upon the activations of the TIM detection devices, sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit; and 
 responsive to determining that the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit is insufficient, controlling, in real-time, operation of the integrated circuit to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises determining whether the number of activated TIM detection devices exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises determining whether the positions of the activated TIM detection devices indicate a sufficient coverage area of the TIM. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a computer processor, the computer processor including a number of functional units, a number of cache memory devices, a number of registers, and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises dispatching instructions among functional units, utilizing cache memory devices, and utilizing registers so as to avoid components of the computer processor having physical locations with insufficient TIM. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a multi-core computer processor and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises distributing execution of computer program instructions among the cores of the computer processor so as to avoid cores having a physical location with insufficient TIM. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a computer processor and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises throttling the computer processor. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein:
 a casing of the integrated circuit is electrically coupled to a ground voltage; 
 the TIM is electrically conductive and is electrically coupled to the integrated circuit casing; 
 each TIM detection device comprises an electrical probe, the electrical probe having a source voltage prior to electrically coupling to the TIM; and 
 activating the TIM detection device further comprises electrically coupling the electrical probe to the integrated circuit casing and the ground voltage, altering the voltage level at the electrical probe from the source voltage to the ground voltage; and 
 determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises detecting, for each TIM detection point receiving the TIM, the alteration of the voltage level of each electrical probe. 
 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein:
 each TIM detection device comprises a mechanical switch, the mechanical switch closed prior to receiving TIM; and 
 activating the TIM detection device further comprises physically opening the mechanical switch; and 
 determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises detecting the opening of each mechanical switch activated upon receiving the TIM in the TIM detection point. 
 
     
     
       17. A computer program product disposed upon a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:
 receiving, upon installation of a heat sink on an integrated circuit and the thermal interface material (‘TIM’), TIM in one or more of the TIM detection points, wherein each of the one or more TIM detection points includes a TIM detection device; 
 activating, in each of the one or more TIM detection points receiving the TIM, a TIM detection device; and 
 determining, in dependence upon the activations of the TIM detection devices, sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit; and 
 responsive to determining that the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit is insufficient, controlling, in real-time, operation of the integrated circuit to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises determining whether the number of activated TIM detection devices exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       19. The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises determining whether the positions of the activated TIM detection devices indicate a sufficient coverage area of the TIM. 
     
     
       20. The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a computer processor, the computer processor including a number of functional units, a number of cache memory devices, a number of registers, and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises dispatching instructions among functional units, utilizing cache memory devices, and utilizing registers so as to avoid components of the computer processor having physical locations with insufficient TIM. 
     
     
       21. The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a multi-core computer processor and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises distributing execution of computer program instructions among the cores of the computer processor so as to avoid cores having a physical location with insufficient TIM. 
     
     
       22. The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a computer processor and controlling operation of the integrated circuit in real-time to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit further comprises throttling the computer processor. 
     
     
       23. The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein:
 a casing of the integrated circuit is electrically coupled to a ground voltage; 
 the TIM is electrically conductive and is electrically coupled to the integrated circuit casing; 
 each TIM detection device comprises an electrical probe, the electrical probe having a source voltage prior to electrically coupling to the TIM; and 
 activating the TIM detection device further comprises electrically coupling the electrical probe to the integrated circuit casing and the ground voltage, altering the voltage level at the electrical probe from the source voltage to the ground voltage; and 
 determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises detecting, for each TIM detection point receiving the TIM, the alteration of the voltage level of each electrical probe. 
 
     
     
       24. The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein:
 each TIM detection device comprises a mechanical switch, the mechanical switch closed prior to receiving TIM; and 
 activating the TIM detection device further comprises physically opening the mechanical switch; and 
 determining sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit further comprises detecting the opening of each mechanical switch activated upon receiving the TIM in the TIM detection point. 
 
     
     
       25. An integrated circuit comprising:
 a plurality of thermal interface material (‘TIM’) detection points, each TIM detection point adapted to receive TIM upon installation of a heat sink on the integrated circuit and the TIM, each TIM detection point comprises a TIM detection device activated upon contact with TIM; and 
 a TIM detection module configured to:
 receive a TIM detection signal from each TIM detection device upon contact between TIM and the TIM detection device and to determine, in dependence upon the received TIM detection signals, the sufficiency of the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit; 
 responsive to determining that the TIM between the heat sink and the integrated circuit is insufficient, controlling operation of the integrated circuit to reduce heat generated by the integrated circuit. 
 
 
     
     
       26. The integrated circuit of  claim 25  wherein:
 a casing of the integrated circuit is electrically coupled to a ground voltage; 
 the TIM is electrically conductive and is electrically coupled to the integrated circuit casing; 
 each TIM detection device comprises an electrical probe, the electrical probe having a source voltage prior to electrically coupling to the TIM; and 
 the TIM detection device is activated upon contact with the TIM by electrically coupling the electrical probe to the TIM, integrated circuit casing, and the ground voltage, altering the voltage level at the electrical probe from the source voltage to the ground voltage. 
 
     
     
       27. The integrated circuit of  claim 25  wherein:
 each TIM detection device comprises a mechanical switch, the mechanical switch closed prior to receiving TIM; and 
 the TIM detection device is activated by physically opening the mechanical switch.